Pride and Prejudice: The Real Wickham

Pride & Prejudice 1995

I love the 1995 version of Pride & Prejudice!  Aside from the book, it is my favorite way to comfort myself and to be honest, my way of pampering myself.


Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle give a great and believable performance as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.  They play so well off of each other.


This movie is over 6 or 7 hours long and was aired in the UK on British television.  It was the talk of the country every week as everyone fell for Colin and his now immoralized wet shirt scene!  


Though Colin didn't want to do this at first, it is obvious as you watch the show that when he decided to play Mr. Darcy he went out of his way to make each scene and each line his own.  I think he may have even stunned himself in the process!!!  


I love that this version stays true to Jane Austen's book and it was so well cast!  Each character was spot on and did a wonderful job.


The writers were fantastic in giving you a glimpse of something Jane Austen never could or did, which was give you something of Darcy away from the Hursts, Caroline, Charles and the family.


Alison Steadman and Benjamin Withrow are awesome as Mr. and Mrs. Bennett.  They are funny and fun giving off the exact impressions that Jane wrote for them.  Affectionate towards their daughters and each other, though on occassion, driving each other nuts.  It was brilliant!


Crispin Bonham-Carter was awesome as Mr. Bingley and Susan Harker was great as Jane.  Perfect shy and adoring couple.


Anna Chancellor was great as Caroline Bingley and you could tell that she had not only invested her time to the character, but had her heart and blood firmly implanted in Jane Austen's world, for she IS a decendent of Jane herself.  I thought that was a wonderful little tidbit of information.  It gives me at least ONE reason to actually like Caroline!


Adrian Lukis as Mr. Wickham was another smart casting choice.  He pulls off the seediness of the character while being charming at the same time.  Mr. Lukis is a good actor as it is.


The scenery and costumes were wonderful and detailed.  It was like stepping back in time and finding myself in a great and amazing world.


There were a few deviations from the book, but they weren't intrusive or obviously meant to disrupt the entire film.  The additions only enhanced the entire film, and did not offend.


I love watching this movie over and over again.  It isn't because we see Colin in a wet  shirt, though that is attractive, but because the movie is very well made and very thought out.  You can tell a lot of love and effort was put into the making of Pride & Prejudice 1995.


~Enjoy

Pride & Prejudice 2005

Pride & Prejudice 2005 starring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen is one of the most recent movies in the P&P world.  


Though shortened for movie going audiences, there are many things I loved about this version.  One was its central focus being on Elizabeth's budding romance with Mr. Darcy, and the trials and misunderstandings along the way.


On a whole, I do love this one and find it a great lot of fun to watch when in need of a quick P&P fix, but at times the things that are left out are what makes this movie confusing if you have never read the novel first.


Some of the obvious changes grated on me at times.  The missing Hursts for one, and the changes in who said what in many cases was a bit disturbing.


Mr. Wickham, played by Rupert Friend was mediocre at best, and not what you would expect from the character itself.  Rupert is meant to stand out in a movie, if his looks are to go by, not be a part of a general cast.  He is a handsome man and in my opinion out shadowed Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy which is not right at all!  I felt that Rupert didn't look or act seedy enough for the part, but the ladies seemed to love him.


Matthew as Mr. Darcy was a bit odd to take since he seemed more vulnerable than one would expect of Mr. Darcy.  He did a fabulous job  in the role though, and gave a great performance.


Kiera was good as Elizabeth, but at times I felt that she wasn't giving her all in the performance.


Mrs. Bennett was too droll in the movie for my tastes.  Not at all what I would picture her to be, but she came out funny.


Here is the worst part of my feelings...I adore Donald Sutherland and felt that on a whole, he gave the role his all but it just wasn't there in my mind or heart.


As I said, this is a good movie to watch when you need a quick P&P fix, but it is like the Reader's Digest version of the book and not entirely on the mark or as true to the book as you would want it to be.


~Wnjoy

Lost In Austen

I love Lost In Austen.  I have seen it so many times, I have lost track!


I love the idea that Elizabeth Bennett and Amanda Price switch places and the fun that follows.


I guess every girl wants to escape from their existence and into another world.  For Amanda, and I suspect yourself and me it is into the world of Pride & Prejudice...and into Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy's arms!


The fun of this movie is the way poor Amanda, played by the fun and spunky Jemima Rooper, ends up screwing the story more as she tries to fix every mistake she makes.


I love this version of Mr. Darcy played by Elliot Cowan. He is stoic and unbending, more so than our dashing hero in the book, blowing Amanda's expectations of how Mr. Darcy should be.  I loved it and his lines were all so fun!


Hugh Bonneville does an amazing version of Mr. Bennett and let's you see more of the man than we should guess him to be. 


Christina Cole, from What A Girl Wants fame, is brilliant and shocking in her role as Caroline Bingley who shares an interesting and crazy secret, that would have Jane Austen herself spinning in their grave, but adds a lovely twist to the entire program.  I won't reveal it but I suggest you watch the movie!


Morven Christie plays a wonderful Jane and adds a lot to the plot.


Tom Riley is the one who came through and could almost make you change your mind and actually LIKE George Wickam.  I loved the arrogant air of the man as he played the worst character of the entire book!


And who could forget the Guy Henry playing a new and more disgusting version of Mr. Collins.  He isn't the stature or ideal Mr. Collins, but he does give a great performance here and adds a lot of flavor and spice to the movie itself.


All in all, this is a perfect "I wish I could trade places with Elizabeth" story and it is magical and whimsical and you cannot help but love Miss Amanda Price of Hammersmith!


~Enjoy

Pride & Prejudice Reading

"You are mistaken Mr. Darcy.."

I always had an affinity for our Mr. Darcy, what woman doesn't have it in her heart that she wants this kind of man?

I do question it at times because we slowly get to know him as we continue on our journey from Longbourn to Netherfield Park, and to Pemberly.

I love the way Miss Austen pens this novel, always from the feminine that you never truly know or understand why Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is so arrogant and seemingly prejudice and full of pride.

Yes, both of our main characters are a little of both in my humble opinion...both full of preconceived notions and to much pride to confront the other in any other way than to vex or hurt the other intentionally in the beginning.

As these two lovers begin to see more of each other, they start to grow on the other in my opinion, and everything falls into place as they start to understand that what they feel for one another is actually a growing love.

My heart goes out to Mr. Darcy as he admits his feeling only to have them thrown back in his face...you have to admit that he went about it in the wrong way, saying things that he shouldn't have said for the sake of justifying why he was allowing these things.

To see him admit to denying the social customs of rank for his time was, even in the modern era not something a woman truly wants to hear. Not exactly romantic if you ask me.

Yet he redeems himself as he explains his dislike of Wickam and the circumstances surrounding him.

Elizabeth is a great character. She is energetic, intelligent and loving...though a bit gullible when it comes to Wickam, willing to believe his tale of woa because he is truly like able, this is, in my opinion, Elizabeth's version of prejudice. Is a man bad because he isn't very social around strangers? And is Mr. Wickam good because he is so outgoing and charming?

I love this book because our Authoress gives such love in writing this tale of two people learning to grow into love.

In modern romance stories, I have seen many follow this format of writing in various ways, many publishing companies and how-to books call this form of conflict great for the readers and fun to write in many instances. It is the formula for a lot of amazing modern romance writers from Historical, to Regency to Contemporary. Writing of two people who are so misinformed and misjudging of the other that they have to overcome this by ways of throwing them together in various scenarios.

I could read Pride & Prejudice a million times and it never gets old and always gives me new things to think about and new things to learn and want to learn. I never tire of it!

I love the movies associated with the books and what each director gives and sees in the making of their versions. I will talk about them soon!